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Commuters board the "Triumphant", a catamaran serving as a ferry for Google employees on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in Redwood City, Calif. Google workers commuting from San Francisco to the company's Mountain View campus can now make the trip on an 83-foot, Wi-Fi-equipped catamaran. Google has launched a free ferry service from San Francisco's ferry terminal to the Port of Redwood City, where employees can hop a private bus to work. Google is hoping to defuse a controversy over the shuttle buses that several Silicon Valley companies use to carry thousands of employees to work from San Francisco and the East Bay.

Last month, Google started a similar trial ferrying its employees between San Francisco and Redwood City. That five-week trial also ends this Friday.

Google on Monday began a weeklong private ferry service trial from the East Bay to Silicon Valley for its employees, according to the Water Emergency Transportation Authority.

During the five-day trial period, which ends Friday, Google vessels will leave Harbor Bay in Alameda each morning and ferry passengers to Redwood City, according to the transportation authority, which oversees San Francisco Bay Ferry service.

WETA executive director Nina Rannells said in a statement that the transportation authority "has a long-term strategic plan for expanding ferry service in San Francisco Bay," and that the Google ferry service will complement the public ferry services.

Based on how smoothly the service runs, the private ferry has the potential to become a permanent option for Google employees living in the East Bay and commuting to the company's headquarters in Mountain View.

Google has agreed to pay WETA $275 per landing. In an effort not to disrupt regular commuters, Google ferry riders will also not be allowed to park in the Harbor Bay ferry parking lot or on adjacent neighborhood streets. Google will provide off-site parking and a shuttle service for its

employees.

The Google ferry service is not expected to impact the normal San Francisco Bay Ferry schedule, WETA officials said.

The ferry services come as Google and other tech companies have faced criticism for private commuter buses in San Francisco that housing advocates say have led to higher costs of living in the city and cause delays for public bus service.